Monsoon Chocolate - Ginger Covered in Dark Chocolate - Mar. 26, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Monsoon Chocolate
Ginger Covered in Dark Chocolate 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) / 6.18 oz. (175 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 2 oz. serving
Cost: $10.00 for 1 package (plus shipping)
Purchased from: Monsoon Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Ginger Theme Week.

Today's Ginger Covered in Dark Chocolate pieces were from Monsoon Chocolate (Tucson, AZ)--a chocolate maker and confectioner that "sources cacao from around the globe and draws  inspiration for flavor inclusions from local ingredients."

Aroma notes for these round, pebble-shaped pieces included: dark chocolate (rich cocoa, faint diffuse fruit and fermented cacao, dark chocolate ganache/mousse) and spicy ginger.

Monsoon's generously-sized, round confections were like eating high-quality versions of giant spicy, ginger jellybeans--coated with a thin layer of 69% cacao dark chocolate and an outer-most dusting of (Ecuador) cocoa powder. The sweet ginger firm jelly-like centers packed an authentic, ginger root heat. Kapow. My eyes were almost watering; but I still wanted more.

Ginger lovers will rejoice. The only downside: all that ginger made it more difficult to taste flavor nuances in the chocolate. But, these were still fun to eat.

Ingredients: Organic crystallized ginger, dark chocolate (cocoa beans, organic unrefined cane sugar, organic cocoa butter), organic natural cocoa powder

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that handles tree nuts, wheat, milk, eggs and peanuts. May not be suitable for people with allergies to these foods.

 

Hu Chocolate - Gingerbread Dark Chocolate Organic 70% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 25, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Hu Chocolate
Gingerbread Dark Chocolate Organic 70% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Ginger Theme Week.

Today's Gingerbread Dark Chocolate Organic 70% Cacao (bar) was from Hu Products LLC (Austin, TX).

Aroma: dark chocolate and toasted (well-done) pieces of buttery gingerbread with warm spices (ginger, star anise, cinnamon, clove, brown sugar and molasses). 

This relatively thick, well-tempered 70% dark chocolate broke with a snap and had a slow, even melt with a very slight dryness and stone-ground granularity. It was rich in appealing flavors. The spice blend recalled gingerbread people, ginger-molasses cookies, and, best of all, hot gingerbread right out of the oven. 

Given the lingering cold and stormy weather in California this year, a week of ginger and chocolate winter warmer chocolate bars like today's has been most welcome.

I enjoyed this bar with dark chocolate-dipped gluten free ginger cookies and hot ginger tea (freshly sliced ginger root and honey).

The only bad news: this chocolate may be sold out by the time you read this post. This Holiday Edition ginger and spices chocolate was purchased in December 2022. One can hope that both the holiday Hu Pumpkin Spice and Gingerbread Dark Chocolate bars will be available again later in 2023.

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic unrefined coconut sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic cinnamon, organic ginger, organic clove. (The organic cacao and cocoa butter were also Certified Fairtrade ingredients.)

Allergen-related information: Contains coconut. May contain traces of almond, cashew and hazelnut. Allergen cleans made prior to production, but beware that product is produced using equipment that also processes tree nuts, soy, peanuts, milk and wheat.

Srsly Chocolate - Candied Ginger 70% dark (bar) - Mar. 24, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Srsly Chocolate
Candied Ginger 70% dark (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar ( plus shipping)
Purchased from: Srsly Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Ginger Theme Week.

Today's Candied Ginger 70% dark (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Srsly Chocolate (Austin, TX).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (fudge, faint, balanced, slightly acidic earth (peat)); faint green floral, and faint spice. The mild peat note disappeared after leaving this bar open for an hour. And a very faint floral smoke (barely there aromatic vanilla tobacco) took its place.

This well-tempered dark bar had a slight sheen and was made with "low and slow" roasted ("like Texas BBQ"), stone-ground cacao--in a city known for its barbequed (bar-b-qued) meats.

Flavor notes included: hearty, well-balanced dark chocolate with upticks of candied ginger. Ultra-dark chocolate fans will likely appreciate being able to taste the relatively bold dark chocolate base. (It was chocolate forward, rather than candied ginger forward.) 

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic cane sugar, candied ginger (ginger, sugar)

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that also processes milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts and wheat

The Xocolate Bar - Candied Ginger (bar) - Mar. 23, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

The Xocolate Bar
Candied Ginger (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Phoenix (shop) under Nepenthe, Big Sur, CA 

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Ginger Theme Week.

Today's Candied Ginger (bar) was from The Xocolate Bar (Berkeley, CA).

Aroma and flavor notes included: warm, spicy ginger and dark chocolate.

Thick, smooth and rich 70% cacao dark chocolate surrounded chewy bits of ginger.

Dark chocolate and ginger--both bold flavors--were balanced (not boring) in this bar. And both dark chocolate and ginger were allowed to shine. There was enough harmonious flux (nuances, complexity) to keep the taste interesting and appealing.

The Xocolate Bar tasting notes: "...spicy and sweet with a ginger zing"

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade (70%) dark chocolate (organic cacao, organic sugar, sunflower lecithin), ginger, sugar

Allergen-related information: (Vegan)

 

The Xocolate Bar - Cinnamon Spice (bar) - Mar. 22, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

The Xocolate Bar
Cinnamon Spice (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Phoenix (shop) under Nepenthe, Big Sur, CA 

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Ginger Theme Week.

Today's Cinnamon Spice (bar) was from The Xocolate Bar (Berkeley, CA).

Aroma notes for this 70% dark chocolate bar with spice inclusions included: warm spice (cinnamon, ginger, very faint (perhaps imagined) allspice and clove) and dark chocolate (relatively bold but smooth with slight sweet herbal and citrus).

Flavor notes included: joyful holiday spiced fruit cake with tiny upticks in authentic-tasting citrus (candied orange peel), candied ginger, and assorted warm spices (cinnamon). The candied inclusion bits added softly chewy texture and sugared up this festive dark bar. 

Dark chocolate minimalists may prefer fewer spices and less sugar; but this was a fun, upbeat bar to try, and brightened up very blustery and stormy weather we were experiencing in California. 

The Xocolate Bar tasting notes: "...a warming blend of sugar and spice"

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade (70%) dark chocolate (organic cacao, organic sugar, sunflower lecithin), ginger, orange, cane sugar, glucose, cinnamon, citric acid, orange oil.

Allergen-related information: (Vegan)

Palato Chocolate - 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Caramelized Ginger, Honduras (bar) - Mar. 21, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate
70% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Caramelized Ginger, Honduras (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Honduras Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Ginger Theme Week.

Today's 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Caramelized Ginger, Honduras (bar) was hand-crafted and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa M.DC., Honduras).  

Aroma notes for this bar included: relatively bold, dark chocolate with subtle complexity, with lively spice (ginger) and occasional earth notes.

Flavor notes included: spikes of spicy, authentic, sugared ginger and dark chocolate. There were fleeting bitter and slightly soapy ginger notes (I'm assuming both from the slightly chewy ginger root flecks). 

This was a satisfying dark chocolate spice bar. One small piece provided a good wake-up chocolate breakfast.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar and caramelized ginger (ginger and sugar)

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts

Mutari White Label Chocolate - Honduras La Masica 74% - Mar. , 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Mutari - White Label Chocolate 
Honduras La Masica 74% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Mutari Chocolate, Santa Cruz, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Honduras Theme Week.

Today's White Label Chocolate Honduras La Masica 74% (bar) was made and hand-wrapped in Santa Cruz, CA. (The company has since moved its manufacturing space down to Watsonville, CA.)

The cacao (2015 Harvest, La Masica, Honduras) used to make this bar was thoughtfully sourced from producer FHIA by White Label's chief chocolate maker, who "is honored to (support/be able to work with) small family farmers" and co-ops in equatorial regions.

Fundacion Hondurena de Investagacion Agricola (FHIA) is a non-profit that works to support sustainable agriculture and cacao in Honduras.

Aroma notes for this two-ingredient chocolate included: a very gentle, complex and appealing bouquet of fruit (peach, plum, fig jam, very faint cherry), very faint and diffuse molasses and warm spice, very faint and diffuse floral (apricot blossom, orchid, honey).

Flavor notes included: true chocolate (brownie, dark chocolate ganache, cookie), cream**, diffuse fruit (stone fruit), very faint warm spice, and faint (balanced) earth.

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Organic sugar

Allergen-related information: (No allergens listed in ingredients; no additional facility/allergen-related information listed on packaging.)

**There was no cream or dairy ingredients in this chocolate.